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What to tie to the furled?

Okay, I'm an old timer and back when I did so much fly fishing before I got into trash fish like bass and walleye for years I tied a nail knot with 30#, then tapered down from there to tippet. I never used "x" tippets back then. 4# for streams, 8# for river mouth steelhead and coasters, 12# for bass bugs and pike. Now I've been convinced to use the furled leaders and a person on another board makes and sells them so I have some on most of my reels. Going from crystal clear and shallow streams, thru tailwaters, and into heavy fishing bass and salmon, how do you handle the tipper questions. So far I've either just tied about 4' of 8# for the bass lakes or 2' of 3x and 3' of 5x or lighter for the streams. Can you guys give me some insight on what you tie to the little ring in various situations?

I should add that most of my leaders are in the 70" range, with a few of 48". They are thread wound leaders and I'm going to experiment with a couple of his "strike indicator" leaders this year with about 20" of bright orange leadin to the ring. With my easy mend Orvis with the orange tip and the strike indicator leader maybe I can actually begin to hook more than 10% of the fish that yank on my line.

It sounds like you are tieing on very short pieces of tippet, I mainly use 7' to 9' furled leaders, when doing this I never start with less than 6' of tippet. but depending on the furled leader I sometimes use up to 10' of tippet. Haveing said this, I can turn that much leader and tippet over, also by doing this, as the tippet gets worn I can cut off a few inches and re- tie the fly. I will do this till I get down to 4' of tippet then i put new tippet on. Exeryone may not agree, but its what I do. hope this helps

fishwater

In times like these it helps to recall there have always been times like these... Paul Harvey

Thanx guys. I have a question for fishwater. When you put that much leader on are you using all the same "x" or #test leader. Seems like with a 7' furled leader and 10' of something like 4x or 5x it would be hard to turn over that much. In a lot of cases the leader curling down is a good thing but for me to straighten that much seems tough. Doubt I could do it. I guess I don't completely understand the concept of tapered leaders yet. Is it an extension of the fly line that is supposed to unroll as if it was NOT a leader but rather a taper consistent with the line. Should I think in terms of the furled leader just giving a softer presentation and my leader doesn't really start until I tie to the ring? I have read of guys running 10' leaders after the furled but they taper them as if they were starting at the nail knot. Seems like overkill. Why use the furled if you do that?

Thank you for that John. Very descriptive and helpful. I'll be doing furled leaders starting with maybe 4' of what planned #/x I figure on using. Then if I want to add a finer piece on I can just surgeon knot a lighter tippet if it seems necessary. As for nymphing, the same guy who makes the furled leaders treated with his "guaranteed" never sink home brew also makes furled for sinking lines treated with his fast sink home brew. A good write up and appreciated.

Okay, I'm an old timer and back when I did so much fly fishing before I got into trash fish like bass and walleye..."

Your are kidding ...aren't you?

Yeah, I am...sort of. I've gone thru several moves and changes in my life and whatever I was fishing for at the time we'd kid about someone else's primary quarry. In early youth in IL I fished a lot of bullheads, catfish, 'gills, and caught suckers and carp along with them. Later on I got into bass and musky. Then in northern WI and MN I got heavy into trout in streams, and even had a charter boat license and chartered on Lake Superior for a few years, and my inland lake fishing was mostly walleye and some trout lakes.. When I moved to Minneapolis I got into bass fishing in a big way, then retired and moved to OK where it's bass and catfish again, with crappies in the mix like days of old. A yearning to get back to basics (expensive basics) has me into bamboo, and of course that takes you to trout fishing and a return to fly tying. In early years I was extremely proficient with a fly rod, now am trying to relearn the techniques, and it's not as easy to get it back as I thougth it would be.

So anyway, I respect ALL fish, from creek chubs to tarpon (tho I've never fished saltwater yet), and yes...I was kidding. I used to fish musky and northern a lot, and of course now that I don't have them available I refer to friends who fish them up north as those slimy critters with the nasty teeth. All in fun.

And John Scott, thanx for the great writeup. My friend I buy the leaders from does them with thread. Lighter for trout and trash fish, heavier for salmon, steelhead and larger trash fish.